Valero Texas Open’s Game Show Night a Huge Hit with the Walkers, other Tour families

By Robert Rodriguez :: Photography courtesy of the Valero Texas Open

During the Valero Texas Open week — or any week on the PGA TOUR, for that matter — much is made about the tournament field. Talk typically centers on who’s in, and who’s out.

Yet, what many don’t realize is the amount of effort it takes tournament officials to recruit the game’s best players — the shiny courtesy cars, five-star accommodations, soirees that showcase the best the city/town has to offer and more.

For pros with families, they also have to consider how an event takes care of wives and children, from daily daycare to family-friendly events throughout the week. This year, the Valero Texas Open hit a homerun with an event that attracted several Tour pros and families, and made for an entertaining evening for several Cordillera Ranch staff members and their guests.

On Monday April 18, the Valero Texas Open, together with the PGA TOUR Wives Association, hosted Game Show Night presented by the PGA TOUR. It was a fun and engaging dinner event that featured pros and their spouses participating in three game show formats — Family Feud, the “Not So” Newlywed Game, and Win, Lose or Draw.

The event, which occurred at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa, provided sponsors and guests an intimate and exclusive forum to interact with PGA TOUR players and their wives. Proceeds from the event were distributed equally between the PGA TOUR Wives Association’s initiatives and Valero Texas Open’s “Birdies for Charity” campaign.

Cordillera Ranch proudly sponsored two tables at this event and watched members Erin and Jimmy Walker compete in Family Feud.

“We had such a great time,” Erin said. “For a first-time PGA TOUR wives event, it went really well. We had fun meeting different people and getting to know the other players and their families on a personal level.”

Tickets were available to the public to attend the dinner and game show festivities. VIP guests and sponsors were able to socialize with the players and their families at a cocktail reception.

Valero Texas Open officials haven’t decided on Game Show Night’s fate for next year, but those from Cordillera Ranch who attended believe it’s a great event for members to reward employees or entertain guests.

“The players enjoyed it because it was a family-friendly event early in the week — it was perfect for a Monday night,” Erin said. “The Valero Texas Open has always been a standard-bearer when it comes to charitable donations, and events like the Game Show Night are great causes that benefit people and organizations in our area.

“Our community has shown it will fully support events like this.”